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As often as I found myself weathering Holmes' black moods in the occasional long stretch between cases, I recognized that Holmes, too, had to suffer through my own dark days. This mood that held me now had been building for days like a storm, and it swirled in all its cloud and thunder now. We had been in several arguments in the last days and I couldn't separate anymore which fights had contributed to my mood, and which had been caused by it.
I stared into the fire, not seeing the flames, but seeing all the distress my mind was sorting through. Everything from simple disappointing interactions with patients and friends and certain consulting detectives, to deeper, unspeakable things. Memories, nightmares, and one that stood out above all else tonight, though I could not explain why; Mary. Though she had been gone for some time, there were still days I missed her so much more than others. Today, I longed to see her face; see her smile. Mary. Perhaps I missed her so greatly now because I believed that on a day like today, she would have known what to do.
When I heard the front door open and shut, I turned myself even further away from the entrance to the sitting room. Part of me wanted to still show frustration at earlier arguments; but more truthfully, I did not want to subject Holmes to my mood any more than I had to. So I chose silence.
I heard his footsteps as he entered. "Ah! Watson, you are here!" He said, his tone light and casual. I did not turn to look at him at first. Just hummed a hello. Finally, he walked around to face me and gave me an oddly sheepish smile.
I tried to turn and hide my face from him. I knew he could so often deduce so much of my thoughts, and I wondered dismally what he saw now. I tightened my hands on the arms of my chair in preparation to stand and escape to my room, but apparently he had deduced this.
"Before you go," he stopped me, his voice a little frantic. He quickly regained composure when he saw he'd made me pause. "I wondered– if you might be willing to join me– I thought it would be nice to attend the performance at the theatre tonight. I hear they are showing something new."
He held up two tickets in his hand and flashed me a hopeful smile. I was not as skilled in deducing thoughts as Holmes, but I could see immediately in his face that this was all for me, in an attempt to lift my black mood. At first, a part of me wanted to resist; I didn't want to be around others, or rather, I didn't want others to have to be around me. But then I thought again of Mary, and what she would say. And I looked into the still hopeful eyes of my friend, his hand still outstretched, and I knew the effort that he made in the attempt to bring me joy tonight.
So I stood, and reached out my hand to take the ticket. "I think I could go for something new." I answered sincerely.
"Wonderful!" He exclaimed, rushing to grab his coat, and throw me mine. "Supper first!" He held the door wide open for me. "Shall we?" As I looked into his bright eyes, I could not help but feel my mood lightening a little already.